Kiss From A Rose

More than just lipsticks enhanced with lip care properties, the new Rouge Dior Ultra Care line ushers Monsieur Christian Dior’s love for flowers into a new age

- Gerald Tan

The late Christian Dior is known for many things. Among them, it was his immense flair for creating divine haute couture garments that won him universal acclaim. He is most remembered for injecting splendour back into the post-war wardrobes of women with the

New Look—a sensuous silhouette that drew the eye in to the beautifully nipped waist. His name soon became synonymous with the ideals of grace, elegance and femininity. But the designer had other interesting facets to him, too. Dior kept a pocketful of talismans with him—he believed that the combination of a pair of hearts, a gold star, a four-leaf clover, a piece of wood and a sprig of lily of the valley brought him luck.

Sewn into the hems of his runway dresses, Dior’s fascination with the lily of the valley went beyond superstition. In fact, he loved flowers as much as he revered women. “After women, flowers are the most lovely thing God has given the world,” he famously wrote in The Little Dictionary of Fashion. Sparing no expense, he engaged French florist Lachaume to dream up breathtaking floral arrangements that served as ethereal backdrops for his presentations.